But have you ever wondered about how the lights and trees end up looking as good as they do?

With four main towns to cater for, as well as the provision of trees in 34 other towns and villages Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has a mammoth task in the run up to Christmas.

The practical work on the Christmas lights begins in early October, and takes around 10 weeks to complete. This includes evenings and weekends to keep disruption to a minimum. Throughout the Christmas period, staff and electrical contractors monitor the lighting and respond to faults and weather damage to keep the towns looking their very best.

The Mayor, Alderman Maura Hickey, said: “The entire Borough looks better than ever this year. We hope our businesses, residents and visitors can see the effort that has been put into enhancing our towns in the run up the festive period. As well as the spectacle of the Christmas lights, our main towns have provided free weekend family entertainment which is a further enticement to potential shoppers and visitors. We should be proud of our region, and what it has to offer.”

And when the Christmas period is over, removing the trees and decorations is almost as time consuming as putting them up.

It takes around three weeks to remove all the trees and store the lights away as the countdown to Christmas begins all over again.

The Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre is an award-winning facility situated at the heart of Limavady town which opened in October 2010.

It provides a dynamic cultural programme of activities throughout the year, including the very best of national and international theatre, music, visual arts and heritage exhibitions, film and engaging creative learning opportunities. An emphasis of the centre’s service is exploring, celebrating and showcasing local stories reflecting the rich cultural diversity of the borough. www.roevalleyarts.com